A knobhead or trying to bully a "foreigner?"

[AcquadiP]

I've just been to the supermarket and headed to the chiller section. A man was blocking the two doors to the section I needed with his trolley. His partner was looking at produce in the opposite aisle. They had a girl with them aged early teens who was wandering back and forward across the aisle. The man had a very unpleasant expression on his face so rather than politely ask him to move, I went to a door not blocked by his trolley and managed to get what I needed from there. The girl was stood in front of this door but seeing me approach she moved away. The man said:
"There's a simple word: 'excuse me' rather than pushing people out of the way."
I replied very calmly that I hadn't pushed anyone out of the way.

I could have added that "excuse me" is two words, not one, and that he was inconsiderate to block access to the chiller cabinet with his trolley but I chose not to. Much to my surprise, what I said silenced him immediately. I expected some sort of pushback. As I carried on with my shoppimg I realised I was wearing a hoodie with "La Dolce Vita" in large colourful type on it and it made me wonder whether he thought I was a foreigner who he could bully?

Is everything xenophobic or racist these days? I mean, some people are just rude.

This. ^ Reaching so far there @AcquadiP that you'll probably put your back out!

I'm all for calling out racists for their racist behaviour, but he wasn't being racist. Just a regular grade knobhead.

Fair enough!

Yeah, you're probably right.

😂

You are making a couple of assumptions there. That he can read. That he knows La Dolce Vita is from a foreign language and so forth. Sounds more like he's just a bit miserable and thick tbh.

I mean, if youre going for the stereotype racist knobhead, most of those wouldnt know multiple languages and have the knowledge to connect you wearing a La Dolce Vita hoodie with you being Italian.

I agree youre overthinking, probably plain old rude

Jesus Christ

Is this a joke? You thought he was being rude to you because he thought you were Italian? Sweatshirts with slogans in various languages on them have been popular for decades. I’ve got one with French writing on it, but I don’t think I will suffer racist abuse for wearing it. I think you must be winding us up.

Well if his wife was looking at the opposite shelf, he and their DD had obviously just stopped waiting for her so in a way he was right, why couldn't you just say "excuse me" so he/his DD could mind out the way? So in a way he was right and you were rude and no, he wasn't being racist

I think he definitely thought you were foreign, and hearing your (what I assume to be) British accent he backed down)

No he did not think she was foreign 😂

His wife wasn't looking at the opposite shelf, she was on the opposite aisle looking at non chilled produce so why block access to the chill cabinets?

What are you actually talking about 😂😂

Yes, I'm English.

I think it’s noticeably strange to go to another door and “manage” to get what you need because you think his face was unpleasant.

Perhaps he thought you were nuts.

They may be common where you live but you see very few where I live.

To be fair wherever you choose to stand still in a supermarket you’re likely to be blocking some shelf or cabinet. Not sure why a quick excuse me is such an issue. Why didn’t you just ask him to move his trolley? You’re accusing him of making judgements about you based on your jumper but you’ve made one about him too.

Honestly I think most people are just a bit dopey and thoughtless in supermarkets I highly doubt he was aggressively blocking cabinets to keep “foreigners” from getting to the produce!

I saw a guy in M&S a few weeks ago wearing a hoodie with "KURWA" on it in big letters and I didn't for a moment feel tempted to bully him.

My reading of his facial expression was correct - he was unpleasant.

And I managed to get what I needed by stretching my arm across to reach it.

People can be horrible in supermarkets. A woman once accused me of neglecting baby DS by taking him down the chilled aisle.

Are you honestly thinking a man was being rude to you and subjecting you to unconscious/concious racism because of your La Dolce Vita hoodie?

Are you ok? I dont understand the leap.

Bloody hell 😂

That's a leap worthy of Neil Armstrong 🙄